Heretofore, endotracheal tube holders have been held in position on patients by varying means. For example, they have been directly secured to oral cavities themselves by the use of holding means inserted partially into the oral cavity itself about either side of the cavity orifice as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,088. Other endotracheal tube holders have employed a clamp for holding the tube to which is attached a band adapted to be secured about the head or the neck of the patient to maintain the clamp and thus the tube in place. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,602,227 and 3,760,811 exemplify these types of holders. Yet other tube holding means have employed ear encircling looped bands coupled with the tube in holding it in place.
While the just mentioned types of endotracheal tube holders have proven effective for adult patient use, they often have failed to hold endotracheal tubes securely in place on infants. The twisting and turning of infant patients often causes head, neck or ear encircling straps to become dislodged thereby enabling the tube itself to become mislocated or even ejected completely from the patient. Other holders have not been readily adjusted or reused. The structural complexity and attendant manufacturing cost of still others has been excessive.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved endotracheal tube holder.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an endotracheal tube holder which may be effectively used upon infant patients.
Another object of the invention is to provide an endotracheal tube holder having improved means for securing the tube holder itself to the patient.
Another object of the invention is to provide an endotracheal tube holder through which a tube may be easily secured and readily adjusted.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an endotracheal tube holder which is easily secured to a patient without the necessity for head, neck or ear encircling bands for securing the holder itself to the patient.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an endotracheal tube holder of the type described which is relatively inexpensive to construct and assemble and which may be composed of readily available and relatively simple structural components.